


let me be your star

by ivylynn



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, implications of sex, there's some staubrey if you squint a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-04-15 14:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4610613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivylynn/pseuds/ivylynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a new show in the works, and Aubrey Posen is a shoe-in for the lead. The auditions are just a formality, really. That is, until Chloe Beale auditions and renowned director Beca Mitchell is ready to offer her the role then and there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	let me be your star

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from a song from smash, the tv show that also inspired this one-shot.

Stacie's pissed. Livid, even.

And yeah, it may be her fault for telling Aubrey that the auditions are just there as a formality and that she already has the role, no doubt about it. That doesn't stop her from being mad at Beca, who seems to be reconsidering that decision.

She's knew to the project, Stacie knows; but her reputation on Broadway is stellar. If you don't count the chicken incident from her first show. (That was ages ago, but Stacie's surely going to mention it every time there's a fight. Like right now.)

"That was a bad decision when I was just starting up, Stacie," Beca yells, rubbing her temples with her hands as she watches carefully. Stacie doesn't quite recognize the look; it's a bit daunting.

"Yeah, bringing poultry onto the stage is exactly what you'd be doing if you were to pick this Beale girl," Stacie nods, her eye roll a bit exaggerated but she adds it for good measure.

The dance studio's never had as good acoustics as it does when Beca speaks again. "I still won three Tonys for that."

It's true, but perhaps Stacie was hoping it wouldn't come up in this conversation. Hoping, wishing -- in any case, it's what seals the deal with this role.

"And this girl, Stace... She'll get us to Tonys."

\---

The formal announcements are supposed to come tomorrow. From Stacie, probably, or someone equally as important.

But Chloe's right there at the other end of the bar and she's the first person that Beca sees. It's kind of fate, if Beca were to believe in that crap. So she just calls it a well-timed coincidence when she walks over.

"This seat taken?" She asks, not really waiting for a reply before sitting down on a barstool next to Chloe. She's not one to take cues from other people, it's a personality statement. The question's just there to mask that, honestly.

Chloe, for her part, seems too perplexed to answer, anyway. "What are you doing here?" She asks instead, eyes narrowed at Beca. If the tone weren't completely innocent, Beca would think Chloe's angry.

(She'd be right to be mad, they've taken long enough to get to the decision no one would regret. Three weeks are somewhat concerning after four auditions, Beca assumes.)

"Cheapest drinks in town," Beca shrugs with ease, ordering a glass of whiskey for herself before turning to actually face Chloe.

"Didn't take you for a miser."

"When it's just for me, it's not worth twenty bucks a shot," she explains. "Dates, however, are a bit more to the expensive side with me."

In retrospect, it's not a good thing to bring that up. She knows when Chloe sighs, shakes her head and takes a sip of her drink. It's enough she's in the papers with a different person every week, she knows, but it slips off her lips easily enough.

That, and she can't really take it back now.

"I'm sure," Chloe says, nodding. She's not looking at Beca, preferring to keep her gaze straight. (It's childish, but whatever; she has a right to be like that.) "So what are you doing _here_ , next to me?"

"The announcement's tomorrow."

It's vague, but it gets Beca the attention she needs from Chloe. It also gets her another glance at those bright blue eyes she's sure are just right for the show, but that's beside the point.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be doing this, but I saw you and thought, why not?" Stacie's going to kill her, Beca's more sure with each word that she says. It's worth it, at least for as long as she gets to witness that big, loopy grin she's getting from Chloe. "The role of Jenny, or Pat or whatever else Stacie changes it to, is yours."

The music is loud, but it doesn't dull out the sound of Chloe's high pitched squeal in her ears when the woman hugs her.

\---

Aubrey knows why Stacie's at her door tonight.

"I'm so sorry, Bree."

Okay, maybe she's a little more clueless about it than she thought.

"What are you talking about?" She gets out of the way as Stacie steps inside, closing the door behind her. Aubrey's grin is wiped off her face with a single look she gets from Stacie. It's pity; that's what she sees in her eyes.

She's known Stacie for long enough to know her signature looks. The girl's not exactly subtle. "Can we sit down, please?" Aubrey also knows that particular tone.

She obliges to the request, leading the way into the living room before she takes a seat on her couch. (The couch she's been planning to replace after she gets the role.) Aubrey doesn't speak, just looks at Stacie expectantly. It's not her story to tell.

"You didn't get the role," Stacie starts. "I'm sorry. I just... if it were completely up to me--"

"You told me auditions don't mean anything. I thought no phone call meant you still don't have a place for rehearsals."

"I know, I know," Stacie nods. She does know. But being overruled by the director isn't really something she expected, so this situation is far from ideal. "Mitchell went for someone else, I couldn't do much about it."

This was supposed to be the big break Aubrey would get. The one push she needs to get her career on the good path instead of being in the chorus. This was her one shot at glory, wrapped with a respectable director.

A director who didn't choose her.

\---

There's a lot of details to be arranged when the time for the first rehearsal comes, but Amy doesn't want to keep postponing anything since the decision for the lead came far too late. It's her money they're using, so she has the final say.

It leads to a broken wrist in attempts to get the choreography just right, no lines being memorized and a lot of complaints told directly to Beca.

When the fifth person comes to her, she snaps. "I am not taking any more comments about the show!" She regrets it.

"I was just going to..." Chloe mutters, retracting her hand from Beca's shoulder. "Never mind, you have a lot on your plate," she nods, eyes fixed on the floor.

"No, no -- sorry, it's fine, what did you need?" Beca asks, telling herself she's only really being nice because they can't afford losing their lead actress over her being snappy. That's why her tone is so soft.

"I just wanted to know how you think I did on the opening number," Chloe's eyes are back on Beca. "I think I kind of went too high on the bridge, I'm not really used to walking and singing, it's all scrappy."

Beca laughs, eyes wide when she stops herself. "It was great. Not exactly according to the melody, but it clashes well with Jesse's vocals," she assures her. The wink she adds before walking over to Stacie is just a minor detail.

Really, it's not that big a deal that Chloe gives her a wide smile.

\---

Jesse isn't really feeling this change. Now he has to dance.

Everything is moving around far too quickly and he can't even wrap his mind around the lyrics changes, much less put in the moves necessary.

"This is normal," Aubrey tells him one day, after she stayed behind to help him out.

And he knows it, he _really_ does. It's just that he's not really used to dancing around and being lifted left and right. He's not too high in the air, but it's still frightening, you know? Not that he mentions that to Aubrey.

"I know. Just a little too much when they change most routines at once," he explains, shrugging with a long sigh off his lips as he takes a seat on the floor. "You seem to be coping well."

"Dancing in the chorus is what I do, I'm used to it."

And here, Jesse thinks she sounds a bit resentful, with a hint of sadness. He doesn't know her well, but the way she words it is a bit of an indication to her dissatisfaction.

So he jumps up to his feet and offers his hand to her. "Come on, I don't want to keep you here forever."

\---

Their first performance is for some gala night that Beca has no idea why they agreed. At least it's not one of the more complex performances, and it's just Chloe --

Chloe. She doesn't even know where Chloe is.

She finds her in the bathroom, leaning with her back against the sinks, all alone. It's all a bit too dreamy, and Beca doesn't like the smile that creeps onto her features because of the sight.

"We're on in five," she tells Chloe once she shakes out of the daze. Chloe looks up at her with panic painted across her face.

"Why didn't you choose Jesse's solo for this?" She asks, shaking her head as she takes in a deep breath.

"Jesse's song would've required context, and we don't want to reveal that," Beca says easily, closing the distance between them in a few short steps. "And your song hasn't changed less than a day ago."

She places a comforting hand on Chloe's upper arm, squeezing gently. It's a mistake, because it leads to her being closer to Chloe and, somehow, that makes her hold her breath and shut up because Chloe's looking at her with a tentative gaze that reveals all her fears.

"Look at it this way -- if you mess up your lyrics, no one will ever know," Beca suggests, tilting her head to the side.

It makes Chloe laugh, and that's enough for her. It also makes Chloe close the distance between them by pressing her lips to Beca's and that's... unexpected.

Beca doesn't even properly respond when Stacie walks in to inform them it's time.

On the stage, she knows she should be looking at the piano just in case, but her eyes are fixed on Chloe while she performs.

\---

"You just _had_ to mention the Diva character," Beca sighs, arms raised in frustration after she slams her front door shut. "She's not supposed to be in the actual show, Stacie!"

"I know, I know, I just got excited," Stacie says, an apologetic look trying to mask her excitement. "Someone was talking about my work," she adds.

There's a certain familiarity in the way she lies down on the couch, not even bothering to take her shoes off beforehand. Mostly, it's reminding Beca that they have a sleepless night ahead of them.

"What's going on between you and Beale?"

Beca can only slap her palm against her forehead when she hears Emily's signature scream after the question. Hoping she's not home and that actually being true are two very different things, apparently.

"Nothing's going on," Beca responds, clearly content to be cutting the conversation short. "She's the lead, I'm the director, it's a professional relationship at its finest."

"I agree. You looked pretty fine with her tongue down her throat." Stacie's smug, it's pretty clear in her tone, but it takes more than a comment like that to make Beca flustered.

The flush in her cheeks is just a coincidence, really.

"Okay, we're done talking about it," she states. "You," Beca points at Stacie, "call Aubrey, tell her she's in for the part. And you," she turns to Emily, "go get a lot of Red Bulls. It's serious writing time."

\---

"This looks ridiculous!"

"Hey, take it up with Flo, I didn't make the dance routine," Beca rolls her eyes at Aubrey, leaning against her desk with arms crossed across her chest. "And I trust that girl, so you'll hang from the damn ceiling if she says it'll look good."

A huff of annoyance she gets in response is considered a victory.

Beca's smirk is wiped off as soon as she hears a far too loud, "hey!" when Chloe enters the studio and takes place next to her. "Coffee?"

It'd be rude to decline it, so Beca takes the cup that Chloe's offering. "You're late."

"Stacie texted saying I don't need to be here for the first part," Chloe explains, sitting down on the desk.

"Then you're early."

"I have to scout out the competition," Chloe says, and the wink she adds afterwards lets Beca know she's not really serious about that. "I just wanted to see the new songs in action."

Beca's sort of glad when the music starts because that means she can focus on something other than Chloe. They haven't really talked since the performance, and Beca wants to put that possible awkwardness off for as long as she can.

\---

When they do talk, Beca's slightly drunk and ready to get back home. As soon as she can get herself a taxi.

"Fun night?"

She'd recognize that voice anywhere, but it takes a second now that she's had a few drinks and her vision isn't quite as clear as it would've been on any other night.

"Where did you come from?" Beca questions as she turns around, bumping into Chloe and almost falling. Chloe catches her, but she likes to think she's had a bit more to do with the staying upright.

"I was just in a restaurant nearby," Chloe makes a hand gesture behind her shoulder, but Beca doesn't really look past her eyes. "A date-type thing."

The thing about Beca when she's drunk is that she can't really control her expression. Her face falls a little, aided with a miserable, "oh," to better convey her emotions. "How was it?"

"Wonderful, didn't even offer to get me a cab," Chloe replies, her hands still firmly on Beca's arms. It's almost as if she's scared Beca will fall if she lets go.

"I can do that. Better yet, I can take you home," Beca offers.

"Yeah, I saw how great your cab-calling skills were just now," Chloe teases, shaking her head. "How about I take you home, huh?"

It's not an offer Beca can refuse, because Chloe's technique of calling a cab (yelling from the top of her lungs for one and waving it over) works faster than her own, so she doesn't complain.

She looks at Chloe expectantly when she slides into the cab. "Taking me home does consist of riding in the same cab," Beca tells her, sliding further down the backseat.

She gives the cab an address as soon as the door is closed.

\---

Chloe's not sure she's supposed to be at Beca's apartment. Or well, she's not sure she should be comfortable on the living room couch with some sheet music and a beer in her hand while Beca's getting changed.

"This is great!" She yells, not realising Beca re-entered the room. "Sorry. I love the lyrics -- did you write them?" She asks, tone lower.

"No, but the music's mine. The words are all Emily, she loves staining my notes with her lyrics," Beca says, taking a seat next to her. It's probably too close to be acceptable, but Chloe's not about to complain.

"Shush, it's all really great."

When, exactly, Beca's eyes started being so compelling, Chloe doesn't know, but it's taking a toll on her thoughts. Apparently, it's taking a toll on her moves, too, because she catches herself inching closer to Beca.

One kiss, that's what she tells herself. One kiss, and then she can leave.

\---

"What?!"

It's not an ideal way to wake up on any day, much less when she has a hangover already. It's become somewhat habitual to wake up that way, with Emily living with her. Except she's not sure why she's screaming all the way from the kitchen.

It takes a few seconds for her to recall the events of last night. Mostly, she remembers herself straddling Chloe on the couch, hips grinding against her in careful moves.

How they got to the bed, she's not sure. The only thing she knows is that if her neighbors complain... well, she'll know what it's about, at least.

A few minutes later, once she's put on some shorts and a tank top, she heads to the kitchen to save Chloe from Emily's countless questions. She finds them making something that smells vaguely like eggs, but doesn't look nearly as messy as when Emily tries her hand at that alone.

"What's going on here?" She asks, eyeing them after she leans against the counter.

"We're cooking!" Emily provides excitedly, and Chloe has to catch her hand as she points at Beca with a spatula, scared it might fly out.

"Yeah, well, hurry up," Beca says. "Chloe and I are supposed to be at the studio in... an hour."

\---

It honestly feels like an end. Beca knows that's far from the truth because they're about to go into the preview week, but packing up the studio space is what always means it's close to no more work.

"Getting sentimental, Bec?" Chloe asks, chuckling slightly. "And yet you were the one laughing about me being this way last night."

"Last night it was getting in the way of me and sex," Beca says, winking when she turns to face Chloe. She guesses she deserves the eye roll she gets.

"I should've known you're a sap, really," Chloe goes on. "I mean there _was_ that speech about me deserving this role."

(And yeah, Beca knows right there and then she might hear that a lot more.)

"Shut up, let's get out of here."

\---

The previews are lethal. Stacie decides it's a good idea to write a completely different ending to the show, inspiring a rather large number of incidents on the stage. On the last day, everything seems to be going wrong.

"This is all _so_ bad," Stacie mutters, leaning back in her chair. It's funny how things are, she's the one stressed while Beca keeps up with the optimism. Stacie blames Beca's new relationship for that, it's shifted everything that's right in the world.

"No it's not. The changes are great, we have it together for tonight," Aubrey assures her, a hand on her shoulder.

Chloe and Jesse are on the stage, running through some of the things they need to remember for the performance, Jesse's voice often heard as he belts out a part of a song he can't get quite right.

Too high, he says. Stacie thinks he's faking it just to piss her off.

"I should have just stuck with biochem like I planned to," Stacie says, letting out a soft sigh. She turns to Aubrey and then, "I'm glad you're here."

"You're the reason I'm here, Stacie."

"I can still be glad," she says as she stands and walks toward the stage. "Kill it tonight, Diva!"

\---

"Tonight's the night to make the crowd fall in love with you, Beale."

"You say that every night."

"That's because it's true every night."

"Did I just see you talking to the Times reporter?" Chloe asks, finally turning from her mirror to face Beca as she stands up from the chair.

"Who, that guy?" Beca makes a vague hand gesture towards the open door, shaking her head. "That's just Doug. My good friend Dougie."

"You," Chloe presses a finger against Beca's chest, "are a terrible liar."

Beca doesn't reply, opting to lean in and kiss Chloe instead. "Lucky I'm not a terrible kisser."

Chloe smirks as she watches Beca leave. "Who said you're not?"

"I'm not listening!"

\---

When Emily becomes the calmest person in the room, there has to be something wrong. Even she can admit that. And currently, as the paper is passed from one person to the other, she can't even believe that she has to be the one to snatch it away from Jesse to be the first one to open it.

"What does it say?" Emily's not sure who exactly asks it, but she shushes them, anyway.

"I'm trying to read," she says, eyes skimming through the review quickly. Everyone else is too busy worrying to notice her ever-untamable smile creeping onto her face.

She's proud, as always.

"Beca Mitchell proves yet again that a low budget and a cast of newcomers is not going to stop her on her way to the Tonys," Emily reads, silencing everyone from the first word. "Blah blah, Chloe Beale charms everyone in the audience with her lies, as she does Jesse Swanson on stage. The latter will have you in tears all the way through the second act."

The article goes on long enough for everyone to fully grasp the good review. By the end of it, even Beca has a grin on her face.

"I told you guys there's no need to worry, I directed this."

"Shut up, Mitchell, you were going on and on about how there's some flaws we can expect to be brought up."

"Hey, this could've been my first flop, I had to have some comforting thoughts."

\---

It's no surprise when they hear Tonys nominations. It's a bit embarrassing having that many, Beca remarks, her legs stretched across Chloe's lap.

"I got nominated," Chloe utters, for the third time since her category. "I got nominated." Fourth.

She doesn't expect it. Yeah, _sure_ , it's nice, but she's a newbie in this business and running against her are some serious names. She'll be the first one to jump up from her seat and clap for anyone who wins, they're kind of legends.

 

\---

So when Chloe jumps out of her seat enthusiastically when her name is announced, she doesn't exactly hear the winner. It's Beca who stands up after her, leaning in for a hug.

"I told you so," she whispers.

The realization comes only a few moments later. And then she's off on her way down the aisle with a shocked expression.

She takes the award and looks at it for a long couple of seconds before stepping forward to the microphone. "I'm so honored to get this," she starts humbly.

Someone's whistling from the crowd, and she has her suspicions about who it comes from.

"I'd like to thank everyone who's had a part in making this musical come to Broadway. Stacie, thanks for writing it and believing in me. Beca, you're the best director a girl can hope for, I love you."

\---

Honestly, it's not the best way to say you love someone for the first time on national television, but at least Beca says it back as soon as she sees her after that.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!! any comments are appreciated.


End file.
